Black
Chapter 2
Derek felt the room go cold. Concentrate. You owe this man your full attention. He's not just some patient. He has a wife and a child on the way. He deserves to see them. To live to see his son graduate. Just 5 more minutes and you're finished. Derek took a deep steadying breath and began the close. 5 minutes later he was done. He called to Cristina as he wheeled Bailey's husband out of the OR. "Cristina, take him downstairs immediately. Have someone stationed at every floor from here to the lobby in case something happens. Get him into recovery promptly. Then alert Addison, tell her that he's going to make it." He instructed. "You're- You're not going down with me?" She asked, her eyes wide. "I can't." He said simply. Her mouth dropped open. "She needs me. Now more than ever. I left her once. I'm not doing it again. Tell Addison I'm staying up here." He called back to her as he headed down to 4. Wordlessly Cristina wheeled the severely injured man down the hall to the elevators.
"No one else comes up or down so for his sake, I hope you don't have and problems cause I'm shutting these down the second I get the OK that you're in the lobby." Dylan, the head of the bomb squad told her. Cristina nodded and took him downstairs. For the first time in her life, she prayed to God that nothing would happen between the 7th floor and the lobby. She reached the lobby and Addison was there to meet her, along with George and Izzie. "Take him to recovery immediately." Addison instructed as she pulled Cristina aside. "Dr. Shepard said that Bailey's husband is going to be fine." Cristina dutifully reported. "Good. That's fantastic… But where's Derek?" She asked.
"He's um, he's still upstairs." She told Addison. The older woman's eyes went wide. "Why? What? I'm going up." She said. Cristina grabbed her arm. "They shut down the elevators as soon as I stepped off." Cristina explained. "Why would he stay up there?" Addison asked, more to herself than to Cristina. Cristina wrung her hands nervously, trying to avoid eye contact with Addison. Her actions didn't go unnoticed.
"Yang, what do you know?" Addison demanded, approaching her. Cristina's eyes went wide. "Um, well, he's up there, cause….. Meredith is…" She trailed off, avoiding eye contact. "Why would Meredith be up there still!" Addison questioned, her eyes burning into Cristina. Cristina winced. "Cause the girl holding the bomb couldn't hold it together so Meredith took her place." Cristina finished.
Everything started making sense to Addison. Of course he wouldn't leave her up there alone. Not the woman he loves. Not the woman he wanted to be with if they were all going to die. She slowly sunk down to the floor, her hands buried in her hair. In a time when loved ones should be together, she was alone. She was alone because her loved one was with his loved one. She choked back a sob. All the hard work, all the effort they'd put into making this work was all thrown away when he was forced to choose between coming down and staying up.
Derek hurried down the corridor to OR 4. He stopped just short of the door. He took a deep breath and looked through the window. There she was. Standing in the middle of it all. The bomb squad all around her. Burke and Dylan deep in conversation as to how to remove it. Without a second thought, he pushed through the door. "What are we doing?" He asked as he stripped his dirtied apron and glove off and crossed his arms in front of him. "That's what we're trying to determine at the moment. Dylan here thinks we ought to sacrifice the patient's life and essentially gut the man." Burke said. Derek raised his eyebrows. "Not an option." He said.
"How long would this man have if she pulled her hand and the artillery out?" Dylan asked. "Are you insane!" Derek asked incredulously. The entire room was silent. "You don't actually believe that would work do you?" He demanded. "A matter of minutes. If we all don't explode when she pulls it out." Burke said, answering their question. Derek turned to him. "You are crazy. I won't let you do it." He told them, walking around to stand next to her.
"Got any other suggestions?" Dylan retorted. "Let me operate. I'll take the risk. Someone has to. And she's already in enough danger. I won't let you ask her to do that." He went on. They all looked at each other. "What are you going to do?" Burke hissed. "I'll figure it out. Get everyone out of here. Let me think." Derek retorted. They all reluctantly cleared the room. He circled the table til he was behind her. "Are you OK?" He asked softly, placing a hand on her back. She nodded. He leaned over and pressed a kiss to her head. "I'm not going to let you die." He told her. He felt her swallow, hard. "It will be OK." He reassured her. "I- I heard you on the phone." She told him. Derek stilled. "Did you really pick me?" She asked quietly. "I did, yes." He replied. "Why?" She implored.
He was silent for a long moment. "Because the very thought of not ever being able to see your face again, even in the simplest terms, was too much to bear. And after going through all this, I just, I don't think I could really live with myself if I walked away from a second chance." He finished. She barely nodded, too overwhelmed to say anything.
He circled the table a few more times. "Meredith, where exactly is the object sitting?" He asked. "Um, just outside the rib cage. Almost on his side." She replied.
When he heard that he circled behind her again and dropped to his knees to the left of her. He gently placed his hand along the man's side, along his rib cage. "Is that it?" He asked. "Yep." She whispered. "Meredith, do you trust me?" He questioned, looking into her eyes. She nodded. "I promise I won't hurt you." He called the others back into the room. "I can remove it surgically." He started. They waited. "The piece is sitting just inside his rib cage. But, it's going to require Meredith moving the piece about 3 inches south." Derek finished. They all exchanged glances. "I'll do it." She said softly. They all nodded.
"Get her every piece of preventative clothing that you can find." Derek instructed them. "It won't-" One of the crew started. "Get it!" Dylan snapped at the man. He nodded and went off to get the clothing. "How are you going to do this?" Dylan asked. "I'm going to make a 6 inch by 6 inch incision in his left side, just underneath his rib cage. That will create pathway for you to get the bomb. Once you feel her hand, you take it and take it quickly. He's going to be bleeding out from the time she starts the move until you take it. Preston, if you're willing, that's where you come in. As soon as she starts the move, you're going to need to make the hole where she stuck her hand in bigger, and stop the bleeding. But only if you're willing. I won't put you at risk if you're not comfortable." Derek told him. Burke paused for a moment. "I'll do it." He replied softly. "Good. Now, where is her protective clothing?" Derek asked. The young man came forward with the protective outerwear and strapped it on her. Derek came up next to ear.
"I promise that when this is all over, I'm going to make this whole situation right. I will not lose you." He whispered and pressed a kiss to her ear. She nodded.
Do not kill the woman you love. If you do, you will never be able to live with yourself.
Derek and Burke quickly prepped the patient and Meredith for surgery. Within minutes, they were starting. "This whole ordeal shouldn't take anymore than 10 minutes, tops. So be ready." Derek instructed as he knelt down and took his place on the right side of Meredith and Burke took his place on the left.
Derek swallowed and looked up into her eyes. She nodded to him, encouraging him. He nodded back and began.
Within seconds, the incision was made. Burke was busy widening the hole Meredith's hand was occupying. 10 minutes later, The ammunition had a clear path to slide down. Derek maneuvered a scope camera up into the opening and showed the men the bomb. "That's the bomb. That's opening. Save her life." He instructed them. The men took their place directly where Derek had been as he moved away. He snatched the gloves off and stood behind Meredith. She closed her eyes and he took the breathing bottle out of her left hand. "Let me. Hold my other hand with yours. Just listen to my voice." He told her as Burke stood ready to stop the bleeding when she moved her hand.
He felt her trembling beneath his touch. "I want you to just listen to me . You need to hold onto it until you feel them take it away. Do you understand?" He asked. She nodded. Dylan had a surgical glove on and was ready a the opening. Derek nodded and Dylan's hand slowly entered the man's body, up through his rib cage. Seconds later, he was grasping the bomb in his hand. Dylan nodded to Derek. "Meredith, on the count of 3, I want you to let go. 1…….2……..3!"